Belt ob girdle



1. L. KANE.

BELT 0R GIRDLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 191s.

Patented May 13, 1919. 2I SHEETS-SHEET a.

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I'. l-. KANE.

` BELT 0R GIRDLE. APPucATloN FILED MAR. I7. 191s.

Patented May13, 1919.

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IDA LoUIsE KANE, or cHIcAGo, ILLINOIS.

BELT on GIEDLE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 1919.

Application filed March 7, 1918. Serial No. 220,947.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, IDA LOUISE KANE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Belts or Girdles, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to a nether garment in the' nature of a belt or girdle, designed in particular to be worn by women about the body in the region of the waist-line, for holding in such portion of the body to produce a regular and neat contour or figure at such part of the body.

1n the wearing of corsets there is an 1nward Iand upward pressure exerted on the abdomen of the wearer, tending to crowd the internal organs of the body together and force them upwardly in the region of the waist-line and there depend for lateral support on the tissues of the body, which are naturally pressed outward, due to such fact. As a woman advances in age, the tissues of the body in the region of the waist-line lose their firmness and muscular support, with the result that the internal organs tend to press the tissuesoutwardly, more so toward the front of the body, due to theV fact that there is no bony structure there toresist it. Manifestly, under such conditions the waist-line is rendered irregular across the front of the body in particular and serves to detract from aneat and trim figure, required especially when wearing gowns which Ht snugly about that portion of the wearer. It is the prima-ry object of my invention to provide a belt or girdle so constructed and arranged that when applied about the body in the region of the waistline there is a suflicient inward pressurebrought to bear by the belt against the front portion of the body, with the result that the protruding tissues are pressed back to what may be termed their normal positions, and thus su port the weight and cause the waistline toghe brought back to normal, that is, giving it a symmetrical and regular contour, so that gowns of the type which fit snugly may be worn by a person wearing my belt. It follows, therefore, that with my belt or girdle, the dressm'alzer may design a dress or gown which will fit snugly and neatly about a symmetrical `waist-line and permit the skirt portion to fall properly about the figure.

The invention also relates to the method or manner in which the girdle or belt is made.

The invention consists further in the matters hereinafterdescribed and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. A

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a belt or girdle constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of said belt or girdle and is shown applied about the body of a wearer in the region of the waist-line;

Fig. '3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. a is a fragmentary horizontal sectional `view taken on line 1E-4 of Fig. l;

. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic vertical sec tional view taken through the center' of the front portion of saidbelt or girdle, and illustrates the manner in which the belt serves to force and hold back any abnormal projection` that may be at the front of the body in the region of the waist-line; and

Figs. 6 to 10 inclusive illustrate, in the Iorder named, the several steps or operations employed inthe method of making a section of -said belt or girdle.

In the drawings, I have shown a belt or girdle 10 constructed in accordance with my inyention, and as illustrated the same comprises a front portion 11 designed to extend over and around the front of the body of the wearer in the region of the waist-line and a rear portion 12 designed to extend around the back of the body, so that the entire garment may thereby encircle the body about the region of the waist-line in the same manner as a belt o r girdle. The front and rear portions of the belt are separated at the sides thereof and are there connected together by an adjustable fastening means, preferably in the form of laces or draw strings 13, 13, as shown. To facilitate put ting said belt on and taking it ofi', I divide the rear portion 12 transversely into two substantially equal parts or sections 14, 15 provided at their meeting edgeswith a detachable fastening means, preferably in the form of a. series of hooks and eyes' 16, 17 secured to the inner face of the belt so as to be covered by the belt and thereby prevented from catching into and damaging any of the garments worn over the belt. By the construction described, it is apparent that said belt or girdle fastens in the back, thereby allowing the front section 11 to be made of a continuous and unbroken piece for extending over and across the front of the body of the wearer. Said belt 10 is made to have a substantially uniform width throughout its length, and such width, that is, the dimension from top to bottom, is sufficiently broad to serve the purpose for which the garment is designed. Extending transversely across the front section 11 and located midway between the ends thereof is a flat, laterally narrow, stiffening member or stay 18y suitably secured to said section in an elongated pocket for that purpose. At each end of the front section 11 there is a stay 19, 19 suitably retained in a pocket provided for that purpose. At each end of the rear section 12 there is provided a stay 20,20, also retained in a pocket provided for that purpose. Likewise, there is a stay 2l, 21 secured to each portion 14, 15 of the rear section along Ithe meeting edges thereof, as shown in Fig. 1. The draw-strings 13 extend across the pockets in which the stays 19, 20 are retained, and suitable eyelets 22, 22 are provided in the material of the belt for said draw-strings to be threaded through. In Fig. 2 the belt 10 is shown encircling the body of a wearer about the region of the waist-line, and it will be noted that the draw-strings 13 are at the sides, so that said belt may be adjusted to various sizes and cause the belt to it snugly and properly about the body.

In Figs. 6 to 10, I have shown the several steps followed in the method of making each of the sections 11, 14, and 15 of said belt or girdle. Each of said sections is made in the same manner, so a description of the making of the front section 11 will suffice for all. I first cut from a sheet of textile fabric a rectangular piece 23 (Fig. 6) of a length and width sufficient for making said front section l1. I cut said piece 23 out of the stock on the bias, so that the interwoven warp and woof threads thereof extend diagonally across the same. In Fig. 6, I have shown two of said diagonal threads a and b, and it will be noted that the same extend diagonally across the piece 23 between the side edges 24, 25 thereof. The next step is to fold the piece centrally upon itself along the longitudinal center line c so as to bring the side edges 24, 25 together or in 'overlapping lrelation, as shown in Fig. 7. l/Vhen the piece 23 is so folded I sew the overlapping side marginal portions 24, 25 by a line of stitching 26, as shown in said Fig. 7. After that has been done, the tube thus formed is flattened out, as shown in Fig. 8, the seam 26 being midway between the folded side edges of the tube and on-the outside thereof. The seam is flattened against the body of the tube, as illustrated in said figure. The next stepl is to turn the tube inside out, so as to bring the seam 2G on the inside of the tube, as shown in Fig. 9. The relation of the seam with respect to the folded side edges of the tube is still retained, and it follows that the upper and lower edges d, e of the tube are folded or doubled so that no raw edges are presented nor binding needed. It will be noted that the tube is now formed of a double thickness of material, a front portion f and a rear portion g, the latter containing the seam 26 and being the inner side of the front section 11 of the belt or the like side of the rear section of the belt, as the case may be. Even when folded the diagonal relationship of the interwoven warp and woof threads is maintained, so that the fabric of the belt is made on the bias and will possess resiliency or yieldability in the direction of its length. By providing doubled or folded upper and lower edges d, e, it follows that the belt will give or yield along said edges, which attribute would not be possessed should the edges be turned over and seamcd or bound. To provide a pocket for the iniddle stay 18, the mid portion of the tube is folded upon itself transversely for that purpose, as shown in Fig. 10, and such folded portion is sewed together by two laterally spaced lines of stitching 27, 27, as shown in Fig. 4. In this manner there are provided along the stay six layers of material, and

with the stay seven layers, as shown in said Fig. 4. Manifestly a stiifening strip of suitable material is provided across the middle of the front section 11. Each end of the section 11 is doubled transversely upon itself to provide a pocket for the stay 19 at such end. In the same manner the fabric portions 14, 15 of the rear section 12 are made, except of course that such portions are not provided with stays intermediate the ends thereof. In forming the pocket for the stay 18, the portion of the material midway between the ends of the pocket is taken up more than the ends of such part, so that the material through the longitudinal center of the section 11 is rendered shorter than the length along the side edges d, e, as indicated in Fig. 10. The same is true of the back sections 14, 15, that is, in forming the pockets for the stays 20, 21 the said portion is taken up in the said manner and for the same purpose.

The belt or girdle 10 is used in the following manner. Said belt is placed about the body of the wearer with the front section 11 extending over and across the front of the body in the region of the waist-line and part way around the sides, as shown in Fig. The belt is fastened in the back, and the draw-strings 13 tightened or loosened, as the case requires, to cause the belt to lit snugly and properly, yet without binding.

In Fig. 5, I have shown by the full linezthe vertical 4contour of the front of a body extending over the waist-line and indicating thereby an abnormal `outward projection in that region, as is generally found in woman after the stage of girlhood haspassed. 1t

is the purpose of my belt or girdle to force figure required for gowns of such kind. Byl

shortening the length of the sections 11, 14, and 15 through the longitudinal central portion thereof, said sections are each curved transversely, and the stays 18, 19, 20, and 21 serve to distend the sections and maintain them bowed or curved transversely inward, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. Consequently, when the belt is fastened about the body of the wearer, the contracted central portion of the belt serves to exert an inward pressure on the body and forces and holds in any abnormal projection in the waist-line, as shown by the dotted lines j in Fig. 5. The fact that the material is cut on the bias permits the belt to yield or flex to an appreciable extent in the direction of its length, so as to be tightened snugly about the body of the wearer, yet give or yield to any muscular movement without `undue binding and discomfort. The line of stitching around the center of the belt also serves to prevent the belt from yielding lengthwise in such portion, with the result that the belt acts to force back and hold in the objectionable body projections noted. Manifestly, with the use of my improved and novel belt or girdle it is possible to gain a neat and trim figure about the region of the waist-line, and thus not only facilitate the fitting of dresses and gowns but designing the same. In other words, a designer of ladies gowns and dresses, instead of being required to plan the dress so as to drape over the body projections in the region of the waist-line and cover the same, may by the use of my novel belt or girdle design the gown for a neat and trim waist-line and thus enhance the appearance of both the garment and figure and appearance of the wearer.

l claim as my invention: j

1. A belt or girdle, comprising a front section and a rear section, the latter being divided into two parts, fastening means for detachablv connecting said parts together so that the belt may be put on and taken off, means for adjustably connecting said front and rear sections together, and at least one ofvsaid sections being made of a textile fabric cut onthe bias and being folded upon itself lengthwiseof the belt so asto provide foldedylongitudinal edges therefor.

2. A `belt or` girdle, comprising a front section and a rear section, and fastening means for connecting said sections together; at least one ofsaid sections being made of textilefabric cut on the bias and being folded upon itself lengthwise of the belt with `the longitudinal meeting edges of said section sewed together and located intermediate the upper and lower folded edges of said section.

3. A belt or girdle, comprising a front section and a rear section, at least one of saidsections being made of textile fabric `cut on the bias and being folded upon itself with the longitudinal meeting edges of said section secured together and located intermediate the upper and lower folded edges of said section, and a stiffening stay secured to and extending across said section intermediate the ends thereof.

l. A belt or girdle, comprising a front section and a rear section, at least one of said sections being made of textile lfabric cut on the bias and being folded upon itself with the longitudinal meeting` edges of said section secured together and located intermediate the upper and lower folded edges of said section, the latter being folded transversely upon itself intermediate the ends thereof to provide a pocket, and a stiifening stay in said pocket.

5. A belt or girdle, comprising a front section and a rear section, at least one of said sections being made of textile fabric cut on the bias and being folded upon itself with the longitudinal meeting edges of said section secured together and located "intermediatethe upper and lower folded edges of said section, the latter being folded transversely upon itself intermediate the ends thereof to provide a pocket, a portion of material intermediate the ends of said pocket being taken up more than at the ends thereof so as to shorten the length of the section longitudinally intermediate the upper and lowerfolded edges thereof, and a stay in said pocket.

6. rIhe method for making a section for a belt or girdle, consisting in, first, cutting from a sheet of textile fabric a rectangular piece of material on the bias, second, folding said piece longitudinally upon itself to bring its side margins in overlapping relation, third, sewing such margins together to form a tube, fourth, flattening the tube so as to bring said seam intermediate the folded longitudinal edges thereof, and, fifth, se curing stiffening stays to said tubular section.

7. The method for making a section for a belt or girdle, consisting in, first, cutting from a sheet of textile fabric a rectangular `piece of material on the bias, second, folding said piece longitudinally upon itself to bring its side margins in overlapping relation, third, sewing such margins together to form atube, fourth, `flattening the tube so as to bringsaid seam intermediate the folded longitudinal edges thereof, fifth, folding the tubular section transversely upon itself to provide a pocket for a stiening stay, sixth, taking up the folded material forming the pocket to a greater extent intermediate the ends of the pocket than taken up at the ends thereof, so as to make thevlength ofthe tubular section through its longitudi- Copies of this patent may be obtained for` nal center shorter than the length of the section along its folded side edges, and, seventh, securing such folded portion together by a plurality of lines of stitching extending along each side of the pocket.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I aiiiX my signature in the presence of two Witnesses, this 1st day of March, 1918.

IDA LOUISE KANE.

Witnesses:

EUGENE C, WANN, CLARA L. PnoPLns.

ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

